An episode of SpongeBob Squarepants was deemed so controversial it has been banned from our screens. I know, weird eh?
The 2003 episode 'Mid Life Crustacean', which sees the cartoon characters take part in a ‘panty raid’, was removed from streaming services by Nickelodeon after it was found to be ‘not kid-appropriate’. You can see the scene here:
The episode sees Mr Krabs hurtling towards a bit of a mid-life crisis - so, with the help of SpongeBob and Patrick, he has a go at recapturing his youth and having some fun in Bikini Bottom.
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Although it takes him a while to warm to the idea of enjoying himself and partaking in seemingly fun activities, Mr Krabs does get a bit of a buzz out of the ‘panty raid’, which sees our three aquatic pals break into a woman’s house to steal her underwear.
However, the fun is short lived when it later becomes apparent the house they broke into belongs to Mr Krabs’ mum. Not ideal.
His angry mother then sends him off to bed in his childhood room. How’s that for relieving your youth, Mr Krabs?
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After the episode originally aired it was available on streaming platforms and reruns for several years but in 2018 Nickelodeon made the decision to pull it.
In 2021, a representative for Nickelodeon told IGN: "Mid-Life Crustacean has been out of rotation since 2018, following a standards review in which we determined some story elements were not kid-appropriate.”
Believe it or not, this isn’t the only episode of the long-running cartoon that Nickelodeon has removed in recent years.
An episode titled 'Kwarantined Krab' was also shelved by the network due to its content.
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The episode centred on an outbreak of a disease called Clam Flu that leads to a health inspector putting the Krusty Krab into lockdown with SpongeBob, Patrick, Squdward, Mr Krabs, Pearl and Mrs Puff also stuck inside.
Now, if you’re reading this and it’s all starting to feel a little bit 2020 - then you’re not alone.
The episode had initially been set to air in 2020, but its release date was pushed back until April 2023 due to the real-life Covid-19 pandemic, which put us all in real life lockdown.
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In a statement, the network told IGN the decision to pull the episode was because it ‘centers on a virus storyline, so we have decided to not air it due to sensitivities surrounding the global, real-world pandemic’.
Who knew cartoons could be so controversial, eh?
Topics: TV and Film
Claire Reid